The Brilliant Robert Lewandowski Is Facing A Career Without A Fitting Curtain Call

While soccer’s almanac offers fewer moments of respite, nan World Cup doubles arsenic a clip for referendums connected nan legacies of awesome players. Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo attack this summer’s tourney expecting it to beryllium their last move connected their sport’s biggest stage. Kevin De Bruyne and Casemiro could explain their analyzable world careers successful North America; Neymar whitethorn not get nan aforesaid chance.

Missing a sendoff for illustration this whitethorn beryllium a spot much relatable to nan life that we mortals endure. Indeed, there’s nary crueler measurement for an world profession to extremity than tripping astatine nan last hurdle of World Cup qualification.

The United States’ nonaccomplishment to get a tie against Trinidad and Tobago successful 2017 doubled arsenic nan last world lucifer for 3 of nan program’s champion players: DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard. So achy was nan show of Gianluigi Buffon’s tear-stained cheeks aft Italy’s unexpected flop successful 2018 that the Azzurri brought him retired of world status for one last friendly 4 months later.

Then there’s nan caller misery endured by Robert Lewandowski. OK, possibly not so miserable: he collects a reported €400,000 a week astatine Barcelona. But nan outpouring of 2026 provided nan Poland striker pinch a chance to complete his awesome CV pinch a 2nd continental title and starring Poland’s first tally beyond a World Cup information of 16 since 1982. Instead, a brace of disappointments person expedited unwanted questions astir nan 37-year-old’s future.

There will not beryllium a 2nd Champions League title for nan Pole, aft Barcelona’s quarter-final exit to Atlético Madrid. Nor will he thief Fifa’s trading push astatine this World Cup. What was poised to beryllium a imaginable legacy-refining agelong has abruptly ended earlier it began.

Poland aren’t 1 of world football’s awesome powers. Their postwar World Cup grounds of qualification comes successful 3 blips: from 1974 done 1986, including a brace of third-place showings starring Grzegorz Lato; past 2002 and 2006 acknowledgment to a gritty protect halfway and awesome goalkeepers; and, acknowledgment to Lewandowski and others, 2018 and 2022.

To opportunity those tournaments didn’t meet expectations for 1 of nan era’s top forwards is an understatement. Poland fell successful nan 2018 group stage, pinch Lewandowski held scoreless, and hardly escaped their group successful Qatar earlier France blew past them successful nan information of 16. Lewandowski’s 2nd World Cup goal, a last-second consolation punishment against Les Bleus, was soon followed by questions of whether he’d played his last World Cup.

After their prima threatened to retire midway done qualifying for this World Cup, Poland changed their coach. Lewandowski returned and led them to a playoff last against Sweden. But nan Swedes precocious acknowledgment to a Viktor Gyökeres leader move that, connected different day, could person belonged to Lewandowski.

“It’s difficult to opportunity thing aft a crippled for illustration this,” Lewandowski mused arsenic Sweden partied connected nan pitch. “I don’t cognize if nan words I find would bespeak really we feel. Soccer tin beryllium cruel.”

So, nary World Cup for Lewandowski then, though his narration pinch Poland had been fraught since they were knocked retired of nan group shape astatine Euro 2024. He wasted small clip successful hinting that he has played his last world match, returning to Barcelona pinch afloat attraction connected nan Champions League.

Four months from his 38th birthday, Lewandowski has played a rotational domiciled for nan first clip since his debut play astatine Dortmund, erstwhile he was caller successful Jürgen Klopp’s locker room aft 2 stellar years astatine Lech Poznań.

He’s still scoring goals, of course. He’s sewage a twelve successful La Liga and 17 successful each competitions this season, including a brace against Newcastle that delighted his manager. And yet, pinch Barcelona down a extremity and a man against Atléti successful nan first limb of nan Champions League quarter-final, Lewandowski was sacrificed arsenic Hansi Flick recalibrated for nan 2nd half. A week later, needing a extremity to unit extra-time successful nan 2nd leg, Lewandowski didn’t cheque successful until nan 68th minute, capable clip for a azygous changeable and small more.

At this stage, Barcelona’s grip connected nan La Liga title is reasonably firm. But convention titles do small for Lewandowski these days: he won 1 astatine Lech, 2 successful Dortmund, 8 successful a statement astatine Bayern and a brace already astatine Barcelona. Even if they spot retired this year’s La Liga campaign, a 14th convention title does small for his bequest that his first 13 haven’t already.

His Barcelona early is simply a small much opaque than for Poland, albeit only just. His statement is up astatine season’s end, and reports propose he’d person to return a hefty trim to instrumentality astir Catalonia. Even then, will a chronic goalscorer beryllium satisfied pinch a backup striker’s minutes? Surely, it’s each Barcelona whitethorn connection him successful his career’s second stages.

“We still person immoderate time,” Lewandowski told a reporter precocious past week. “The nine knows what I think, and I’ve had clip to think,” he said. “I don’t want to talk astir offers and my future. The remaining matches and nan goals are much important.”

Much arsenic pinch different gilded peers of Lewandowski nearing nan extremity of their playing careers, MLS and nan Saudi Pro League are brought up arsenic adjacent steps. Thomas Müller and Bastian Schweinsteiger person enjoyed life successful North America, while Kingsley Coman and Karim Benzema rate handsome checks successful Saudi Arabia. And yet, neither convention offers nan aforesaid legacy-cementing aura that a 2nd Champions League aliases a heavy World Cup tally would person for 1 of nan top strikers nan crippled has ever seen.

“Soccer tin beryllium cruel,” indeed. A marvel of his profession, now without an evident last enactment to cement his legacy.